Compare international business money transfers

Using an international money transfer service instead of your bank when paying international employees or invoices can save you both time and money. We break down the best ways for your business to make international payments to help you get back to work quicker.

Compare international money transfer services for businesses

Our table below lets you compare services you can use to send money abroad. Compare fees, exchange rates and discounts from different money transfer services, and when you have made your choice, click Go to site.

1 - 6 of 6

Updated regularly

We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.

Learn how we maintain accuracy on our site.

Close

Sort by:

Name	Product		Filter Values	Fastest Transfer Speed	Fees (Pay by Bank Transfer)
WorldFirst				24 hours	From $0	Open bank accounts in Australia, the UK, US, Canada, Japan and Europe. Send and receive funds with zero fees for large sums, including same-currency supplier payments.	Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
TorFX Business Transfers				24 hours	$0	TorFX guarantees to match any competitor's exchange rate. Conditions apply. TorFX sends money overseas in 30+ currencies, with competitive rates for transfer amounts over $2,000.	Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
Send business				24 hours	$0	$100 cashback voucher for new registered users trading over 25k AUD within 30 days of registering in June. T&Cs apply. Send provides fee-free transfers via its 24/7 multi-currency payments platform with real-time quotes.	Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
OFX Business Transfers				24 hours	$0	OFX has no maximum limit transfers, with competitive exchange rates for 45+ currencies.	Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
Qantas Business Money				Within minutes	$0	Earn up to 100,000 bonus Qantas Points on your first conversions by 31 July. That's on top of 1 Qantas Point per every AUD$10 equivalent you transfer into foreign currencies. T&Cs apply. Set up accounts in 11 different currencies and get rewarded for global business payments by earning Qantas Points.	View details		loading Fetching your data...
Airwallex				Within minutes	$0	Airwallex can help you make business payments to 23+ currencies using competitive interbank rates and no fees for most transfers.	View details		loading Fetching your data...

loading

CompareClear

Does your business need to transfer money internationally?

There might be a number of reasons why your business needs to transfer money overseas. Here are the most common:

• Paying a supplier or vendor
• Paying international contractors or employees
• Paying commercial bills

International money transfers for business

Money transfer providers are specialists that can get your funds from A to B at a low cost. And they'll likely hit your account – or the account of your supplier, contractor or employee – sooner than other options such as banks.

Many specialist money transfer specialists also offer forward contracts, limit orders and recurring transfers to save you time and money.

• Best for: Businesses looking to send quick, cost-effective payments that can benefit from additional money-saving features.

Compare money transfer services now

Business payments for online sellers

For a service that goes beyond directly sending and receiving payments, a business payment account with a money transfer provider may better suit your business's needs.

One such provider is Wise. Its multi-currency account allows you to set up local bank accounts in up to 15 countries so you can pay and get paid as though you were local.

• Best for: Businesses looking to work with multiple currencies and accounts in multiple countries, all in one place.

International payroll services

When you're looking to pay your employees, you can potentially get everything handled by an international payroll service. It processes the entirety of your payroll and stays up to date on regulation changes so you don't have to.

• Best for: Paying your borderless employees without dealing with local tax laws and payroll regulations.

Bank transfer

A bank-to-bank wire transfer may be the most familiar and well-tread path, but it may not be what's best for your business. International wire transfers often come with steep transfer fees and poor exchange rates. Typically, banks like Westpac and NAB can charge upwards of $30 for an outgoing wire transfer.

• Best for: Paying vendors that only accept wire transfers.

Send wire transfers through money transfer companies to save money

Mail a check

Failing all other methods, you can mail a check. Doing so comes with quite a few drawbacks, including comparatively lacklustre security and slow delivery times.

• Best for: Times when no other option is available.

How do I find the best money transfer service for my business?

For business owners, time can sometimes be more valuable than money. You may think that because it handles your other finances, your local bank is the simplest and most obvious option when sending money overseas. In truth, international money transfers are no longer a game for only tried-and-true players such as banks. Newer companies and online money transfer providers promise to undercut the competition to earn your business and will usually deliver your money to recipients faster than banks can.

Take a closer look at the following areas to find the best money transfer service for your business:

• Exchange rates. You may see a great exchange rate being advertised but you need to make sure that the rate you see is the rate that you receive. The mid-market exchange rate is the best rate you can get – it's the rate at which banks buy and sell a currency. However, many banks and money transfer services will add a markup to the exchange rate, which are usually worse than the mid-market rate. This can make a huge difference if you are regularly sending large amounts overseas.
• Fees. While it might seem that there are no fees to pay, it's more than likely that the exchange rate will have a large margin added to it. Your business transfer might be free but how much more are you having to pay because of a weaker exchange rate?
• Discounts. Many services waive transfer fees when you send larger amounts regularly. If you send more than $10,000, OFX waives the fee.
• Forward contracts and limit orders. Find out which, if any, tools are on offer from a provider such as forward contracts or limit orders. Forward contracts allow you to lock in an appealing exchange rate for future money transfers while limit orders allow you to wait until you find a better exchange rate and then lock it in for your transfer.
• Transfer methods. Each money transfer service today accommodates a different variety of payment and transfer methods. What you and your recipient are used to is crucial in choosing the right service. For example, some providers might allow payment through PayID and POLi while others may not.

Let's crunch the numbers: Sending a $5,000 business money transfer to the US

Let's say you need to send $5,000 to a supplier in the US. Here's what you might face as far as fees and exchange rates as of 30 March 2023.

	Money transfer service	Major Australian bank transfer
Fee	23.18 AUD	10 AUD
Exchange rate	1 AUD = 0.7194USD	1 AUD = 0.698405 USD
Transfer speed	Same day	3-5 days
Amount received	USD 3,580	USD 3,485
Verdict	Better value and faster	Slower and more expensive

Even with the money transfer service charging a higher fee, the bank option is both slower and more expensive when paying a supplier in the US. If you went with the money transfer service, not only would your recipient get the money faster, they'd also get an extra US$100 thanks to stronger exchange rates and lower fees.

Banks may seem like the more convenient option, but once you set up an account with a money transfer company, you can send money with a few clicks.

How can I receive international payments?

How you set up to receive funds is going to depend on what type of service you go with. Banks are likely to give you the option to open the account and get started in person, while a dedicated money transfer service will probably have fewer physical locations. You'll likely also have the option of opening an account over the phone or online.

The process is a bit more involved for business accounts, so set aside at least a half hour in most cases to get through the entire application. Make sure you have your personal details, business information and any relevant financial information you may need.

• Should I open an international bank account?

  When you do a significant amount of business in another country, it can be useful to open up an account with one of the local banks. An international bank account can lower certain costs and make managing invoicing and payments easier.

  By sending invoices out in local currency, you let your payee know exactly what's due – they don't risk coming up short because of hidden conversion fees. You can also hold incoming funds in the foreign bank account until advantageous exchange rates arise before transferring them back to Australia.

• Accepting credit card payments as a small business

  Several payment acceptance services allow you to get paid by credit card. By using a full-service program like Flywire, you can get both payment processing and invoicing solutions, which includes the ability to accept credit cards.

  You can also look into setting up with providers that are a little less hands-on like Skrill or Stripe. With these types of payment acceptance services, you'll need to do a bit more work when it comes to invoicing.

Do I pay taxes on international business transactions?

Income from abroad is still taxable in Australia. Also be aware of any international tax laws that might apply, especially if you have an international bank account. While there are many treaties around the world to avoid double taxation, you may still be subject to additional taxes.

Because tax guidance and regulations can be confusing for businesses with foreign income, you'll likely want to seek out a business accountant to make sure everything is above board. Some international business payment solutions like FlyWire can also help you manage your business taxes.

What are the hidden costs of an international business transfer?

When sending a business money transfer, you may be quoted one fee on top of the amount you want to send. But if you look closer or ask for a breakdown of this fee, it could relate to a number of hidden fees relating to the following:

• Poor exchange rates. When dealing with popular currencies, you might get a great exchange rate from a provider. However, that same provider might add higher margins to the exchange rate on exotic currencies resulting in you spending more. Find a business money transfer service that offers the best exchanges for the currencies you use the most.
• High fees. Is there a flat fee for your business transfer or a percentage of the total amount? And do you have to pay to receive a business transfer from overseas? Depending on the nature of your business and how you operate, you may want to compare flat fees against variable fees to find the most cost-effective option.
• Transfer delivery speeds. Business transfers can usually be delivered within 1-5 business days. If you want your transfer to arrive sooner, then you'll pay for a faster turnaround. While instant and same-day transfers are available with some services, you could pay more for these options..

Bottom line

While there's no one perfect product for making international business payments, knowing how to evaluate solutions and find the best one for your business goes a long way. Compare international money transfer providers to get more details on the services they provide, how to better measure them against one another and what to do once you choose one.

Frequently asked questions